Vacuum preserving device



June 8 F. V. WINTERS VACUUM PRESERVING DEVICE Filed Jan. 23. 1924 252i, 7 a M w i W.

Patented June 8, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK V. WINTERS, OF NEW YORK, N. '1'.

VACUUM PRESERVING- DEVICE.

Application filed January 23, 1924. Serial No. 687,997.

This invention relates to vacuum preserving devices, and has for its object to provide an elastic vacuum former which may be used for withdrawing air from a preserving jar and seating a closure thereon for retaining the vacuum formed therein, continuously.

The invention contemplates the provision of an elastic cup-shaped cap member adapted to be pushed down over a preserving jar until substantially no air space is left between them, and which is adapted to draw air out of the jar as said cap member is, by pulling, stretched upwardly, there being a. valve in said cap member for excluding atmospheric air therefrom during the said upward stretching movement and also for admitting atmospheric air thereto for destroying the vacuum obtained but primarily for seating a closure on the jar after the air has been withdrawn. from the latter. A special object is to provide the cup member with a special form of mouth adapted to cling snugly to the external walls of the jar and prevent atmospheric air from entering between said mouth and jar during the upward stretching of the cap member or vacuum former. A further object is to provide the closed end of the cap member with rigid supporting means which will fit snugly over the top of the jar when said cap member is pushed down thereon, and which will prevent said closed upper end of the cap member from undue collapsing during the upward stretching of said member on the iar. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a broken sectional view of a preserving jar equipped with my vacuum former, constructed in accordance with this invention and applied thereto, and shows same in a position ready to be raised for withdrawing a1r from said Jar.

Figure 2 1s a broken elevatlon of said vacuum former, to specifically show the inturned and diameter reducing head at the lower edge thereof.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1, but showing the vacuum former as when raised and as when the air has been. withdrawn from the jar, and

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the positions of the parts when the retaining and release valve has: been operated in the vacuum former to destroy the vacuum created therein and for seating the closure on the jar.

The preserving jar 1, illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4, may be made of glass or other suitable material and is preferably formed with a stepped opening 2 in its top to receive a stepped; closure 3, a gasket 4 being interposed between said opening and closure for maintaining an air tight joint between them when the closure is properly seated. Said closure is provided with a stepped perforation 5 normally closed by a filling 6 of suitable sealing material and which is perforated to admit air into the jar when said closure is to be removed, and access to the preserves therein is desired. The closure is preferably flush with the top of the ar when seated thereon, and the edge portion of said top may be rounded off as at 7.

The vacuum former comprises a cupshaped cap member 8 made of rubber or other suitable elastic material and of a diameter to fit snugly around the jar, as best shown. in Figure 1. Around the lower edge or mouth of the vacuum former or cap member 8 a bead 9 is formed integral therewith, said bead normally extending inward, as shown in Figure 2, so that when said cap member is pushed down over the jar, said bead is stretched to assume the outwardly extending position shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. This stretching of the bead 9 in applying the cap member to a jar creates an added tension between the mouth of said member and the external walls of the jar which tends to prevent air from rushing in between said mouth and jar when the cap member is raised for withdrawing air from the jar.

Within the closed upper end of the vacuum former or cap member 8 a rigid disk 10 of met-a1 or other suitable material is secured by means of a clamping plug 11 which may be screw-threaded at 12 to engage said disk and which has a flange 13 adapted to clamp the central portion of the closed end of the cap member firmly down upon said disk. Said plug 11 may also be screw-threaded above the flange 13 to receive the handle 14, and through said plug there is formed an air passage 15 terminating at its upper end in a funnel-shaped opening 16 into which a valve plug 17 of rubber or other suitable material is adapted to fit for preventing atmospheric air from entering the cap member while the same is being pulled upward for withdrawing air from the jar. The disk 10 has its lower face recessed at 18 to conform to the top surface of the jar when the closure is fitted on the latter, see Figure 1, so that substantially no air space is left between said disk and the top of the jar when the cap member is pushed down on the jar.

WVhen the cap member 8 has been pushed down over the upper end portion of the jar 1, the valve plug 17 is inserted in the funnelshaped opening 16 of the air passage 15 through the plug 11, and the handle 14 is then grasped for raising said cap member or vacuum former. During the upward pull of said cap member or vacuum former, the side walls stretch and permit the closure 3 to be raised from the top of the jar 1, as illustrated in Figure 3, and any air in the jar is withdrawn from said jar through the small opening around the stepped closure 3 and the jar mouth into the space created when the cap member has been raised, as shown in Fig. 3. During this movement of the cap member, the atmospheric pressure on the outside thereof will force its sides inward above the top of the jar, as shown in Figure 3, but the rigid disk 10 and the upward pull will prevent a total collapse of the side walls 8 of said cap member, so that the cap member will be effective in withdrawing air from the jar. As soon as the cap member 8 has been raised far enough to create the desired degree of vacuum in the jar, which degree is to be determined by the force used, the valve plug 17 is removed from the funnel-shaped opening 16 leading to the air passage 15, whereupon atmospheric air rushes into the space created in the cap member through said passage, resulting inv destroying the vacuum created, and also that of immediately seating the closure 3 on the ar, and releases all side-way tension of the stretched and inwardly pressed "sides of said cap member, so that the parts assume the position illustrated in Figure 4, but the vertical tension of the side walls in assuming the position shown in Figures 1 and 4, pulls against the admitted atmosphere therein, and increases thereby the pressure on cover 3, until all admitted air has escaped and the cap member rests in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the cap member may be readily removed from the jar. Inasmuch as a partial vacuum has been formed in the jar, the atmospheric pressure being the greater on the outside thereof, serves to hold the closure 3 firmly seated on the gasket 4, thus retaining the Vacuum obtained until the sealing material 6 is perforated, for the purpose already explained.

It will be noted that during the upward stretching of the side walls of the vacuum former, or cup 8, that the bead 9 at its lower edge or mouth thereof does not move longitudinally on the jar owing to the atmospheric pressure pressing against the adjacent portion of said vacuum former or cup, naturally due to the formation of such vacuum as has been created within the stretched upper internal portion of the cap above the ar, as shown in Figure 3. When the valve 17 has been removed, as shown in Figure 4, this atmospheric pressure which held the cup against longitudinal movement on the jar during the upward stretching of said cup, is removed and the lower end portion of said cup may move upward on the jar as the rubber contracts and the cap returns to its normal length as hereinbefore stated, after which said cup or Vacuum former may be readily removed from the jar, and the jar and its contents stored for future use.

I claim:

1. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly around a preserving jar, a rigid disk arranged in the upper closed end of said member for the purpose specified, means secured to said disk for stretching the vacuum former above the jar, and means for excluding atmospheric air from said vacuum former, while it is being stretched above the jar for withdrawing air therefrom, and for admitting atmospheric air to said vacuum former for automatically seating a closure on said jar after air has been withdrawn therefrom.

2. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air-tight around a preserving jar, a rigid disk arranged in the upper closed end of said member for the purpose specified, means secured to said disk for raising the upper end portion of said member and stretching it abovethe jar, and .;means 'fort excluding atmospheric air from said vacuum former, While it is being stretched above the jar for withdraw ing air therefrom, and for admitting atmospheric air to said vacuum former for automatically seating a closure on said jar after air has been withdrawn therefrom, said disk having its lower face formed to fit closely over the top of the ar so that substantially all air is excluded from between them when the vacuum former is fully pushed down on the jar.

3. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air-tight around a preserving jar, a rigid disk arranged in the upper closed end of said cupshaped member, a clamping plug for securing said closed end portion of the cupshaped member to said disk, a handle attached to said clamping plug for raising the upper end portion of said member and stretching it above the jar, and means for excluding atmospheric air from said vacuum former, while the latter is being stretched above the jar for withdrawing air therefrom, and for admitting atmospheric air to said vacuum former for automatically seating a. closure on the jar after air has been withdrawn therefrom.

4. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air tight around a preserving jar, a rigid disk arranged in the upper closed end of said cupshaped member, a clamping plug for securing said closed end portion of the cupshaped member to said disk, a handle attached to said clamping plug for raising the upper end portion of said member and stretching it above the jar, there being an air passage through said clamping plug, and a removable valve plug for said passage, whereby atmospheric air may be excluded from the vacuum former, while the latter is being stretched above the jar for Withdrawing air therefrom, and atmospheric air may be admitted to said vacuum former for automatically/seating a closure on the jar after air has' been withdrawn therefrom.

5. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air-tight around the preserving jar, a rigid disk arranged in the upper closed end of said cupshaped member, a clamping plug for securing said closed end portion of the cupshaped member to said disk, a handle attached to said clamping plug for raising the upper end portion of sziidmember and stretching it above the jar, there being an air passage through said clamping plug and a funnel-shaped opening at the top of said passage, and a removable valve plug to fit said funnel-shaped opening, whereby atmospheric air may be excluded from the vacuum former, while the latter is being stretched above the jar for withdrawing air therefrom, and atmospheric air may be admitted to said vacuum former for automatically seating a closure thereon after air has been withdrawn therefrom.

6. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air-tight around a preserving jar, a rigid disk ar ranged in the upper closed end of said cupshaped member, a clamping plug for securing said closed end portion of the cupshaped member to said disk, a handle attached to said clamping plug for raising the upper end portion of said member and stretching it above the jar, there being an air passage through said clamping plug and a funnel-shaped opening at the top of said passage, and a removable valve plug to fit said funnel-shaped opening, whereby atmospheric air may be excluded from the vacuum former, while the latter is being stretched above the jar for withdrawing air therefrom, and atmospheric air may be admitted to said vacuum former for automatically seating a closure thereon after air has been withdrawn therefrom, said elastic cupshaped member having a bead formed around its mouth and normally extending inward so that it must be stretched to an outwardly extending position when said member is applied to a jar for the purpose specified.

7. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air-tight around a preserving jar, a rigid disk, hav

ing its lower face recessed, arranged in the upper closed end of said cup-shaped memher, a clamping plug for securing said closed end portion of the cup-shaped member to said disk, a handle attached to said clamping plug for raising the upper end portion of said member and stretching it above the jar, and means for excluding atmospheric air from said vacuum former, while the latter is being stretched above the jar for withdrawing air therefrom, and for admitting atmospheric air to said vacuum former for automatically seating a closure on the jar after air has been withdrawn there from.

8. A vacuum former of the character described comprising an elastic cup-shaped member adapted to fit snugly air-tight around a preserving jar, a rigid disk arranged in the upper closed end of said cupshaped member, a flanged clamping plug having a downwardly extending nipple adapted to secure said closed end portion of the cup-shaped member to said disk and also having an upwardly directed nipple, a handle attached to the second-named nipple for raising the upper end portion of IOI said member and stretching it above the jar, there being an air passage through said clamping plug and a funnel-shaped opening at the top of said passage, and a removable tapered valve plug to fit said funnel-shaped opening, whereby atmospheric air may be excluded from the vacuum former, While the latter is being stretched above the jar for Withdrawing air therefrom, and atmospheric air may be admitted to said 1. vacuum former for automatically seating a closure thereon after air has been Withdrawn therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK V. WINTERS. 

